


10 Cups Of Coffee

by MyChemicalRachel



Series: 12 Gays Of Christmas [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 12 Gays of Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 19:59:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5428829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyChemicalRachel/pseuds/MyChemicalRachel





	10 Cups Of Coffee

_ Sterek _

The cafe reeked of peppermint and cinnamon. Of course there was that constant, almost suffocating, aroma of coffee, but it was more than just that recently. It smelled like fucking _Christmas_. Christmas and coffee and college students. And Stiles hates it. It’s not that Stiles hates Christmas itself. Usually he would be bubbling with excitement; The semester is over, there’s snow on the ground that he will admit to playing in, and even as a twenty-year-old he loves waking up early to see the presents under the tree, the twinkling lights, the star-shaped cookies. But this year, it’s not the same. He’s just like every other average college student this year; Broke and unable to afford a plane ticket back home to spend the holiday with his dad. And of fucking course, his supposed best friend is abandoning him in favor of spending winter break with his girlfriend’s family.

He tries not to be bitter about it. Stiles knows that sometimes life just sucks and he’s resigned to spending the next two weeks alone, maybe pick up some extra hours here at the coffee shop if he feels like it. But he knows that, after today, most people are hightailing it back to their families out of state, or at least off campus, and the cafe will be deserted.

Already, at just past sundown, the cafe is thinning out. Stiles dejectedly leans against the counter when Isaac tosses an apron down next to him. “I’m heading home,” The other boy informs him. “Make sure to lock up when you leave.”

Stiles just nods, bidding Isaac farewell. A group along the far wall gather their belongings and disappear as well, leaving the table a mess and the building eerily quiet. He sets to work collecting the empty mugs and dirty plates, tossing them into a pile of dishes he knows he should probably clean. But instead, he makes himself a drink and lets his eyes rove over the shop. There’s only one other person, nestled into the corner booth with his back to the window. He recognizes him as the hot guy who has ordered like ten black coffees in the past two hours. He’s sat alone the entire time and Stiles has seen him check his phone a couple of times; Poor guy probably got stood up. Stiles figures that once the guy leaves, he can close up early and go wallow in self pity back in his dorm. For now, he sips his coffee and waits.

The guy stands up a few minutes later and Stiles takes his apron off, assuming he’s ready to leave. Instead, the stranger wanders again to the counter. His eyes are cast down, but Stiles thinks they’re green. “Umm… Another coffee. Black, no sugar.” The attractive man glances up quickly at Stiles, then back down. “Please.”

Stiles watches as he pulls out a wallet, retrieving a few crumpled dollar bills and drops them onto the counter. Stiles shakes his head, pushing the money back over with a soft laugh. Now the guy looks up with a furrowed brow and Stiles breath catches because his eyes aren’t green, but they’re not blue either. They’re this mesmerizing mix of both colors, with some added brown and gray and... Holy shit, his eyes are captivating. And the rest of his face doesn’t fail in comparison, he is _gorgeous_. Stiles tries to situate his thoughts. “Dude,” He finally says. “You’ve had like ten coffees in the last two hours. I think I have to cut you off before you have a heart attack and die of caffeine overdose.”

A small smile tugs around the guy's lips. “I like coffee.” But he shrugs, and says, “Okay, then I’ll take something without caffeine.”

Stiles nods, but really there is nothing here worth tasting that’s completely caffeine free. Still, he offers, “Hot chocolate?”

The strangers nods, too. “Yeah. That sounds great.”

And so Stiles turns to the machine on the counter and makes the drink. When he hands it over and accepts the money, he wanders, “So what are you doing here? No plans for Christmas break?”

He sees the man shake his head. A slender finger traces the brim of the mug and he watches the counter. “No plans,” He concedes. “Just… Hanging around campus, I guess. It’s just me and my sister, and she’s honeymooning in Europe this year.”

Stiles hands back the change, which the stranger drops into the tip jar without even a glance. Instead, his gaze meets Stiles’. “What about you? Any plans for the holiday?”

Stiles shrugs very noncommittally. He leans against the counter. “I was supposed to go back to California to see my dad, but turns out plane tickets don’t fit into the budget of a college kid. So I’m stuck here.”

The stranger laughs, making a noise of agreement. He takes a drink of his hot chocolate, watching Stiles over the brim of the mug. When he sets down the drink, he leans against the counter opposite Stiles. He looks serious suddenly when he bites down on his lip and says, “I lied.” He sighs and then blurts out, “I fucking hate coffee.”

Stiles looks at him, confused for a long minute. “You hate coffee,” He repeats, growing more amused when he says it aloud. “Then why the hell have you ordered ten cups of coffee?”

It looks like the guy blushes, but Stiles can’t really tell with how fast he looks down, avoiding eye contact. His voice is low when he admits, “I was trying to work up the courage to ask your name.”

Now Stiles is the one blushing, but he makes no move to cover it. He’s openly grinning, blushing, and humored. “Oh yeah?” He leans forward, crossing his arms.

The stranger peeks up at him and yeah, he’s definitely bright red. And Stiles finds it _adorable_. Taking pity on him, he says, “Stiles. My name. It’s Stiles.”

The guy returns the smile, saying, “Derek.”

“So, Derek…” Stiles says. The name sounds right falling off his tongue, twisting something in his stomach when he asks, “How many cups of coffee will it take for you to work up the courage to ask me on a date?”

And okay, Stiles is still a little bitter that he’s not going home to see his dad for Christmas, but he’s just met a really attractive man and he’s got the next two weeks off school. Maybe this winter break won’t be the worst after all.

 

 


End file.
